Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Recommended Reading

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Here are some of our favorite, recommended books from some of the most popular, plant-based nutrition books and recipe books on the market today. These books can help answer any questions you have about a plant-based diet, help you explore different variations of a plant-based diet, provide additional nutritional information, give insight from vegans who made the transition, provide recipes and how-to’s for those looking to achieve certain health goals, and also provide you with amazing recipes to cook right at home! No matter what kind of plant-based eater you are or aspire to be, there’s a little something here for everyone! Keep in mind, there are always new plant-based, vegan books coming out on the market, so keep your eyes out for others you might enjoy.

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VEGAN FOR LIFE

Vegan For Lifeby Jack Norris, R.D. and Virginia Messina R.D., MPH covers everything from a six-step transition plan to meeting calorie and nutrient needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding,Vegan for Life is the guide for aspiring and veteran vegans alike, complete with an easy-to-use food chart, tasty substitutions, sample menus, and expansive resources.

VEGAN FOR HER

Vegan For Herby Dr. Virginia Messina, R.D., MPH is blueprint for optimal health and wellness at any age, will show you how to: lower your risk for breast cancer and heart disease; manage conditions like arthritis and migraines; diminish PMs and cramps; build strong bones for life; enhance fertility; make an easy transition to a vegan diet; and incorporate principles of both fashion and compassion into your home and wardrobe.

THE VEGITERRANEAN DIET

The Vegiterranean Diet by Julieanna Hever, R.D. is based on The Mediterranean diet, which has been the gold standard dietary pattern for decades, and with good reason: it has been linked with lowered risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Now, Julieanna Hever takes the Med to a whole new level! By focusing on whole-plant foods that promote long-term wellness and ideal weight management, you can reap the benefits of the most researched and beloved diet—made even healthier. The Vegiterranean Diet offers: comprehensive nutrition info, shopping lists with everyday ingredients, more than 40 delicious, budget-friendly recipes, flexible meal plans (great for families, too!) and strategies for overall health.

BECOMING VEGAN

Becoming Vegan, Express Edition: The Everything Guide to Plant-Based Eating by Brenda Davis R.D. and Vesanto Melina R.D., M.S. is the completely revised edition of a seminal classic offers fresh insights on the treatment of animals in food production and other industries, the latest findings on the health benefits of a vegan diet, expanded information on phytochemicals, and a thoroughly updated food guide. This streamlined “express” version is extensive in scope, yet manageable for anyone who wants to easily understand how to construct a nutritionally balanced plant-based diet.

Here are the latest findings on: using plant foods to protect against cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses; obtaining essential protein without meat, eggs, or dairy products; discovering “good” fats and where to find them; meeting dietary needs for calcium without dairy products; understanding the importance of vitamin B12; designing balanced vegan diets for infants, children, and seniors; and making the most of vegan pregnancy and breast-feeding. Readers will find a sound blueprint to follow for better health for themselves and the planet.

BECOMING RAW

Becoming Raw by Brenda Davis R.D. and Vesanto Melina R.D., M.S. contains a wealth of information on the raw food lifestyle. Nutrition experts Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina once again provide the essential information needed to safely embrace a new dietary lifestyle. As they did for vegetarians and vegans in Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, they present the first authoritative look at the science behind raw foods. And both old converts to raw foods and new recruits alike will be fascinated with food historian Rynn Berry’s presentation of the first narrative history of the rawfoods movement in the United States.

A section of over forty-five recipes provides dishes for any time of day and every occasion. Nutritional analyses are given for each recipe. Also included is a section on what foods and equipment are needed to get started and what raw food preparation basics are good to master.

VEGANIST

Veganistby Kathy Freston is the story of a vegan powerhouse who wasn’t born or raised vegan. Kathy is a bestselling author and renowned wellness expert who actually grew up on chicken-fried steak and cheesy grits, and loved nothing more than BBQ ribs and vanilla milkshakes. Not until her thirties did she embrace the lifestyle of a veganist–someone who eats a plant-based diet not just for their own personal well-being, but for the whole web of benefits it brings to our ecosystem and beyond. Kathy’s shift toward this new life was gradual–she leaned into it–but the impact was profound. Now Kathy shows us how to lean into the veganist life. Effortless weight loss, reversal of disease, environmental responsibility, spiritual awakening–these are just a few of the ten profound changes that can be achieved through a gentle switch in food choices.

Filled with compelling facts, stories of people who have improved their weight and health conditions as a result of making the switch, and Q&As with the leading medical researchers, Veganist concludes with a step-by-step practical guide to becoming a veganist…easily and gradually. It is an accessible, optimistic, and illuminating book that will change the way you eat forever. No less delicious, still hearty and satisfying–just better for you and for all.

THE LEAN

The Leanby Kathy Freston shows you how to get healthier each day, with the scientifically based, vegan-friendly Lean plan. Kathy shows how to make and commit to small diet and lifestyle changes that, over time, yield unexpectedly significant results–something as simple as swapping in nondairy milk for cow’s milk, eating an apple a day, or having an afternoon power shake. These changes propel you almost effortlessly into a forward momentum of ever more healthy choices, and work together to bolster your progress. There are only two rules:

1. All you need is the willingness to take just one step.
2. As you add the healthier foods to your diet, eat the new foods first.

By gradually adding in these nutrient-dense and fiber-rich foods, you’ll crowd out the problem foods, feel fuller for longer, and simply stop feeling cravings. On Kathy’s Lean plan, readers can experience sustained, healthy, and permanent weight loss of 1-3 pounds per week–plus increased energy, improved digestion, clearer skin, and renewed purpose. Complete with exercises, recipes, and powerful testimonials, The Lean offers not only a truly leaner frame, but also the little push we all need to get on the path to lasting change.

EAT TO LIVE

Eat to Liveby Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. includes scientific research supporting Dr. Fuhrman’s revolutionary six-week plan and a brand new chapter highlighting Dr. Fuhrman’s discovery of toxic hunger and the role of food addiction in weight issues. This new chapter provides novel and important insights into weight gain. It explains how and why eating the wrong foods causes toxic hunger and the desire to over consume calories; whereas a diet of high micronutrient quality causes true hunger which decreases the sensations leading to food cravings and overeating behaviors. It instructs readers on how to leave behind the discomfort of toxic hunger, cravings, and addictions to unhealthy foods.

This is a book that will let you live longer, reduce your need for medications, and improve your health dramatically. It is a book that will change the way you want to eat. Most importantly, if you follow the Eat To Live™ diet, you will lose weight faster than you ever thought possible.

FORKS OVER KNIVES

Forks Over Knivesby Gene Stole, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn will show you howone simple change could save you from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer? For decades, that question has fascinated a small circle of impassioned doctors and researchers—and now, their life-changing research is making headlines in the hit documentary Forks Over Knives.

Their answer? Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet—it could save your life. It may overturn most of the diet advice you’ve heard—but the experts behind Forks Over Knives aren’t afraid to make waves. In his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn explained that eating meat, dairy, and oils injures the lining of our blood vessels, causing heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

THE CHINA STUDY

The China Studyby Thomas Campbell and Dr. T. Colin Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”

The China Study is not a diet book. Dr. Campbell cuts through the haze of misinformation and delivers an insightful message to anyone living with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and those concerned with the effects of aging.

THRIVE

Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide for Ultimate Performance in Sports and Lifeby Brendan Brazier is a long-term eating plan to help all athletes (professional or not) develop a lean body, sharp mind, and everlasting energy. As one of the few professional athletes on a plant-based diet, Brendan Brazier researched and developed this easy-to-follow program to enhance his performance as an elite endurance competitor.

NO MEAT ATHLETE

No Meat Athleteby Matt Frazier and Matthew Ruscigno combines the winning elements of proven training approaches, motivational stories, and innovative recipes. It is a unique guidebook, healthy-living cookbook, and nutrition primer for the beginner, every day, and serious athlete who wants to live a meatless lifestyle. Author, popular blogger, and 100-mile ultramarathoner Matt Frazier will show you that there are many benefits to embracing a meat-free athletic lifestyle.

VEGAN BODYBUILDING

Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitnessby Robert Cheek, one of the world’s most recognized vegan body builders, is a comprehensive guide to building a fit body while eating a plant-based diet. Author Robert Cheeke inspires people to develop magnificent bodies. His passion for doing the most amount of good while causing the least amount of harm has inspired athletes, trainers, and anyone interested in a strong, healthy body. This title includes information on the most important things to consider in order to be a successful vegan bodybuilder including the best way to put together vegan meal programs and training regimens, how to find sponsorship and make bodybuilding a career, and where to find access to vegan products, services, and equipment. There is also advice on how to take bodybuilding beyond a personal endeavor and use it for activism and outreach.

THE BLENDER GIRL

The Blender Girl: Super Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Drinks, and Desserts by Tess Masters is based on her wildly popular recipe blog, The Blender Girl. In this book, Tess Masters shares easy plant-based recipes that anyone can whip up fast in a blender. Tess’s lively, down-to-earth approach has attracted legions of fans looking for quick and fun ways to prepare healthy food. In The Blender Girl, Tess’s much-anticipated debut cookbook, she offers 100 whole-food recipes that are gluten-free and vegan, and rely on natural flavors and sweeteners. Many are also raw and nut-, soy-, corn-, and sugar-free.

CHOOSING RAW

Choosing Rawby Gena Hamshaw is based on her health journey that led her to a plant-based diet.Gena Hamshaw started a blog for readers of all dietary stripes looking for a common– sense approach to healthy eating and fuss–free recipes, known as Choosing Raw that inspired this wildly popular plant-based nutrition book. Choosing Raw, the book, does in an in depth manner what the blog has done for hundreds of thousands of readers: addresses the questions and concerns for any newcomer to veganism; makes a plant–based diet with many raw options feel easy instead of intimidating; provides a starter kit of delicious recipes; and offers a mainstream, scientifically sound perspective on healthy living. With more than 100 recipes, sumptuous food photos, and innovative and wholesome meal plans sorted in levels from newcomer to plantbased pro, Hamshaw offers a simple path to health and wellness.

THE ENGINE 2 DIET

The Engine 2 Diet By Rip Esselstyn will teach you how to lose weight, lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease, and become physically fit–in just 4 weeks. Professional athlete-turned-firefighter Rip Esselstyn is used to responding to emergencies. So, when he learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, TX, were in dire physical condition-several had dangerously high cholesterol levels (the highest was 344!)-he sprang into action and created a life-saving plan for the firehouse. By following Rip’s program, everyone lost weight (some more than 20 lbs.), lowered their cholesterol (Mr. 344’s dropped to 196), and improved their overall health. Now, Rip outlines his proven plan in this book. With Rip as your expert coach and motivator, you’ll transform your body and lifestyle in a month. His plant-powered eating plan is based on a diet of whole foods, including whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

THE 30 DAY VEGAN CHALLENGE

The 30 Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick -Goudreau will help yousee the difference a plant-based diet makes in your life! Whether you want to improve your overall health, shed a few pounds, demonstrate your compassion for animals, or help the environment, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, dubbed “The Vegan Martha Stewart” by VegNews magazine, holds your hand every step of the way, giving you the tools, resources, and recipes you need to make the vegan transition – healthfully, joyfully, and deliciously.

CRAZY SEXY DIET

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr is based on the heels of Kris Carr’s best-selling cancer survival guidebooks and her acclaimed TLC documentary comes her new journey into a realm vital to anyone’s health. Infused with her signature sass, wit and advice-from-the-trenches style, Crazy Sexy Diet is a beautifully illustrated resource that puts you on the fast track to vibrant health, happiness and a great ass! Along with help from her posse of experts, Carr lays out the fundamentals of her Crazy Sexy Diet: a low-glycemic, vegetarian program that emphasizes balancing the pH of the body with lush whole and raw foods, nourishing organic green drinks, and scrumptious smoothies. Plus, she shares the steps of her own twenty-one-day cleanse, and simple but delectable sample recipes.

THE VEGAN CHEATSHEET

The Vegan Cheat Sheet is a take-anywhere resource that puts all the essential information about eating vegan at your fingertips, featuring:

• Three weeks’ worth of exciting vegan menus
• More than 100 no-brainer recipes that take less than 20 minutes hands-on time
• Tips on what to order (or not) when dining out, including vegan-friendly options at the most popular chain restaurants
• Must-have fridge and pantry staples, and vegan replacements for your favorite foods
• Important facts on why eating vegan helps guard against common killers like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes

Everything is packed into this go-everywhere, user-friendly manual for quick reference in the kitchen, restaurant, grocery store, or on the road. So grab your cheat sheet and prepare for an exciting new way of eating—and living!

THIS RAWSOME VEGAN BAKING

Rawsome Vegan Bakingby Emily von Euw, creator of the popular blog This Rawsome Vegan Life, makes treats that are so phenomenal and so stunning they should be considered masterpieces. Oh yeah, and they’re raw, vegan AND gluten-free. So whether you’re a vegetarian, a raw vegan or even a meat-lover just looking for something healthy, new and delicious, this book has something for you!

100 BEST JUICES, SMOOTHIES, AND HEALTHY SNACKS

100 Best Juices, Smoothies and Healthy Snacks: Easy Recipes for Natural Energy & Weight Control the Healthy Way by Emily von Euw shares how juices and smoothies are packed with the vitamins and nutrients you need to nourish your body. And Emily von Euw, creator of thisrawsomeveganlife.com, has recipes that are so delicious you’ll be drinking to your health every day. Each sip will boost your metabolism, detox your body, strengthen your immune system and help you get your daily-recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. Plus, swapping in some of these healthy drinks and quick snacks will help control your weight and save you time in the kitchen. With recipes that are not only good for you and easy to make, but tasty and portable as well, you’ll be clinging to this healthy living companion with both hands.

THRIVE ENERGY COOKBOOK

Thrive Energy Cookbook by Brendan Brazier is packed with 150 plant-based, nutrient-dense, whole food recipes developed within the Thrive nutritional philosophy. Thrive Energy Cookbook brings concepts that started the functional, plant-based nutrition revolution to life. Recipes are all vegan and allergen-free (or with gluten-free options) to eliminate wheat, yeast, gluten, soy, refined sugar, and dairy from your diet.

RAW ENERGY IN A GLASS

Raw Energy in a Glass by Stephanie Tourles offers more than 120 delicious, super-nutritious recipes for smoothies, shakes, green drinks, power shots, mocktails, longevity elixirs, and fermented beverages, all designed to boost your health and energy. All recipes can be 100% vegan. There’s even an original recipe for vegan yogurt, made with nut milks and probiotics. And no juicer is required: Tourles uses a high-powered kitchen blender to turn raw ingredients into satisfying drinks. From Green Grapefruit Refreshers and Ginger-Lime Mocktinis to Golden Antioxidant Fusion, Aloe and Pineapple Digestive Health Elixir, Pain-Away Chlorella Smoothies, and Sunbutter Banana Shakes, there’s no shortage of nourishing, energizing, and irresistible choices.

RAW ENERGY

Raw Energyby Stephanie Tourles is all about raw, vegan easy eats!It’s time to rescue snacks from the realm of empty-calorie packaged junk food and transform everyday pick-me-ups into healthful, satisfying mini meals. Why waste calories on cookies or chips that have no nutritional value and provide only short-term satisfaction when raw foods are delicious, simple to prepare, and bursting with natural energy boosters that everybody needs to stay fit and healthy?

Made from real, whole foods that are uncooked, unadulterated, and unprocessed, these snacks are 150- to 250-calorie packages of health and vitality, dense with naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, fiber, and enzymes. Full of raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, dried and fresh fruits, oats, carob, cocoa, freshly extracted juices, and vegetables, they taste great and are easy to digest. Tourles provides a complete overview of the benefits of raw foods, along with an introduction to “uncooking” techniques and an ingredient-by-ingredient food guide. For anyone looking for more nutritional punch from low-calorie snacks, Raw Energy provides 125 tasty starting points.

THUG KITCHEN

Thug Kitchenby Thug Kitchen contains over 100 vegan recipes. It is inspired by the best loved web site, Thug Kitchen, which has inspired others to eat healthier lifestyle and care about what they eat. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur’s Best New Food blog of 2013—with half a million Facebook fans and counting—Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food.

Thug Kitchen includes some of their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real.

YUM UNIVERSE

Yum Universe by Heather Crosby shows you that no matter where you land on the diet spectrum, more whole, plant-based foods can enrich your life and improve your health. If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet or you just want some ideas for preparing scrumptious veggie dishes, Heather Crosby provides a step-by-step guide to simply adding more delicious, health-boosting meals to your existing routine, whether you’re a meat-eater or a vegan. YumUniverse: Infinite Possibilities for a Gluten-Free, Plant-Powerful, Whole-Food Lifestyle offers a creative collection of more than 150 craveable recipes without meat, dairy, gluten, or soy. But this is more than just a cookbook—it’s a treasure chest that will help you build health-promoting habits and recipes of your own for a lifetime.

ONE DISH VEGAN

One Dish Vegan by Ronda Robertson contains more than 150 vegan recipes that range from the most popular categories of one-dish dining like stews, chilis, and casseroles (and other baked dishes) to a host of stovetop sautés and stir-fries as well as substantial salads and dishes that feature pasta as well as other noodles, such as Asian noodles. The recipes are at once homey and adventuresome, comforting and surprising. Above all, they demonstrate that it really is possible to get a complete vegan meal into one dish, full of good-for-you nutrients and bright, satisfying flavors.

HAPPY HEALTHY VEGAN KITCHEN

Happy Healthy Vegan by Kathy Patalsky shows you how to live a diet that’s happier and healthier by not eating animal products, helping to change the world, one little bite at a time. Kathy Patalsky, creator of the popular vegan food blog Healthy.Happy.Life, read by millions, makes sure eating vegan is fun and delicious too. In Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen, it’s hard to believe that some of the flavor-packed recipes, like the Vegan Philly Cheese Sandwich and Ultra Creamy Cashew Veggie Pot Pie, are actually vegan. Along with the inventive recipes, the book also includes guides to help “veganize” your kitchen, cooking techniques for vegan staples, and wellness tips, making it the perfect book for both long-time vegans and newcomers alike.

365 VEGAN SMOOTHIES

365 Vegan Smoothies by Kathy Patalsky makes it possible for everyone to enjoy this daily diet enhancement that is free of animal products (even honey) and the saturated fats, chemicals, and hormones that often accompany them. From her frosty sweet “Peach Pick-Me-Up” to green smoothies such as her revitalizing “Green with Energy,” Patalsky’s innovative smoothie recipes are built around themes such as brain boosters, weight loss, healthy digestion, and detoxification. She also includes mood tamers, such as the “Cheerful Chocolate Chia,” with B-complex vitamins and omega fatty acids to boost serotonin levels. Featuring vibrant color photographs and simple steps to stock a healthier pantry, 365 Vegan Smoothies serves up the perfect blend for everyone.

DELICIOUSLY ELLA

Deliciously Ellaby Ella Woodward is inspired from the wildly popular food blog Deliciously Ella, and contains over 120 plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipes with gorgeous, full-color photographs that capture the amazing things we can do with natural ingredients.

In 2011, nineteen-year-old Ella Woodward was diagnosed with a rare illness that left her bed-ridden, in chronic pain, and plagued by heart palpitations and headaches. When conventional medicine failed her, Ella decided to change her diet. She gave up meat, gluten, dairy, sugar, and anything processed—and the effects were immediate: her symptoms disappeared, her energy returned, and she was able to go off all her medication. A self-confessed sweet tooth, Ella taught herself how to make delicious, plant-based meals that delight the palette and improve overall well-being.

Deliciously Ella is an essential, how-to guide to clean, plant-based eating, taking you through the best ingredients and methods for preparing easy, exciting meals. This is not a diet—it’s about creating a new mindset that embraces fantastic food. From sweet potato brownies to silky chocolate mousse and roasted butternut squash risotto and homemade fries and ketchup, Ella shares 100 brand-new recipes and twenty classics in her signature, elegant style.

THE OH SHE GLOWS COOKBOOK

The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon is inspired by one of the most popular vegan food blogs today, Oh She Glows. Five years ago when Angela started the blog, it was to spread the word about her journey to health and the powerful transformation that food can make in our lives. Almost overnight, her energy and authenticity attracted readers eager to create their own positive life changes. Today, Oh She Glows attracts millions of visitors every month, making it one of the most popular vegan recipe blogs on the Internet.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook is packed with more than 100 delicious recipes such as go-to breakfasts, protein-packed snacks, hearty entrées, and decadent desserts. The Oh She Glows Cookbook is also allergy-friendly, with many gluten-free and soy-free options. Whether you are a vegan or you simply want to incorporate a few vegan meals into your week, Angela’s recipes are a must-have for anyone who longs to eat well, feel great, and simply glow!

CRAZY SEXY KITCHEN

Crazy Sexy Kitchenby Kris Carr gives us a Veggie Manifesto for gourmands and novices alike, and it’s filled with inspiration, education, and cooking tips—plus more than 150 nourishing, nosh-worthy recipes. Infused with her signature humor, style, and wit, Crazy Sexy Kitchen redefines the kitchen as headquarters for a wellness revolution. You’ll soon come to see that the goodness born in your kitchen will reach deep into the rest of your life—enriching your health, your home, your heart, and the planet.

OATRAGEOUS OATMEALS

OATrageous Oatmealsby Kathy Hester shares it’s time to change the way you look at oatmeal. Gone are the boring oats with bland mix-ins because Kathy Hester, author of the bestselling book The Vegan Slow Cooker and The Great Vegan Bean Book, has dishes like Italian Veggie and Oat Sausage, Veggie Oat Taco and Oat Pizza Crust Topped with vegan sausage crumbles made from steel-cut oats. With classic breakfast recipes taken to the next level with unique ingredients, tasty desserts and even savory lunch and dinner recipes, this book is the perfect gift for every oatmeal lover out there. If you want to learn how to use heart-healthy oatmeal in new and exciting ways then it’s time to get cooking. These recipes are the perfect way to add nutritious oatmeal to any dish so you can stay fit and happy while enjoying your favorite food.

THE VEGAN SLOW COOKER

The Vegan Slow Cookerby Kathy Hester shows you how to make hot, nutritious, home-cooked meals for your family and friends, all by saving time too! The Vegan Slow Cooker shows you how to create fresh, nourishing cuisine in just two simple steps, using all the healthiest produce, whole grains, and vegan-friendly ingredients found at your local market or farm stand (or home garden!).

VEGANOMICON

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbookby Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero has more than250 recipes–plus menus and stunning color photos–for dishes that will please every palate. All the recipes in Veganomicon have been thoroughly kitchen-tested to ensure user-friendliness and amazing results. And by popular demand, the Veganomicon includes meals for all occasions and soy-free, gluten-free, and low-fat options, plus quick recipes that make dinner a snap.

SALAD SAMURAI

Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero is here to teach you the way of the veggie warrior, rescuing salads from their bland, boring reputation and “side” status with more than 100 vibrant, filling entrees. This is your guide to real salad bushido: a hearty base, a zesty dressing, and loads of seriously tasty toppings. Based on whole food ingredients and seasonal produce, these versatile meatless, dairy-free dishes are organized by season for a full year of memorable meals (yes, salad can rock even the coldest days of winter).

With designations for gluten-free and raw-ready options and recipes that are work-friendly, weeknight-ready, high-protein, and loaded with superfoods, Salad Samurai shows you the way of the salad: killer dishes that are satisfying, healthy, and scrumptious.

BUT I COULD NEVER GO VEGAN

But I Could Never Go Veganby Kristy Turner deliciously refutes every excuse you’ve ever heard of not to eat vegan with 125 bursting-with-flavor vegan recipes for every meal of the day—including dessert! If you’re a waffling vegan newbie, on-the-fence vegetarian, or veg-curious omnivore, this book will banish your doubts. You’ll find you can get enough protein, fit in at a potluck, learn to love cauliflower, and enjoy pizza, nachos, brownies, and more—without any animal products at all. (Even vegan pros will discover some new tricks!) Colorful photographs throughout will have you salivating over Kristy’s inventive, easy-to-follow recipes. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and leave your excuses at the door!

CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE

Chocolate Covered Katieby Katie Higgins shows you how eating vegan can mean eating dessert a little more often than not, especially when it’s healthy! Meet Katie: a girl who eats chocolate every day and sometimes even has cake for breakfast! When Katie’s sugar habit went too far in college and left her lacking energy, she knew something needed to change. So she began developing her own naturally sweet recipes and posting them online. Soon, Katie’s healthy dessert blog had become an Internet sensation, with over six million monthly visitors. Now, in her first cookbook, Katie shares over 80 never-before-seen vegan recipes, such as Chocolate Obsession Cake, Peanut Butter Pudding Pops, and Ultimate Unbaked Brownies, that use only real ingredients, without any unnecessary fats, sugars, or empty calories. These desserts prove once and for all that health and happiness can go hand-in-hand-you can have your dessert and eat it, too!

KEEP IT VEGAN

Keep It Vegan by Aine Carlin demystifies veganism, with 100 flavorful, simple recipes that use standard supermarket ingredients, none of those hard-to-find, expensive substitutes. Broken down into Breakfast, Brunch & More, Midday Meals & Simple Suppers, Something Special, Sides & Sauces, and Sweet Treats, this plant-based cookbook makes cooking vegan an effortless reality without compromising taste. As an ex-voracious omnivore, and once a devout dairy consumer, Aine understands the limits of taste brought upon by the act of eating consciously; even so, she is a steadfast believer in the endless possibilities of flavors before meat and dairy.

For the newly converted, the cookbook will provide a whole new way of life in addition to a pleasant transition, and for the veteran vegan, the cookbook doesn’t bother with sugar-coated, convoluted recipes, but brings forth ideas that are simple yet make big impacts on flavor and taste. Non-vegans will also find these dishes to be mouthwatering and worthy at least for the health benefits! The home cook will most definitely find trustworthy go-to dishes for large dinner parties and small gatherings.

VEGAN COOKING FOR CARNIVORES

Vegan Cooking for Carnivoresby Roberto Martin shares over 125 delicious vegan recipes he’s created for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. Martin, who is their personal chef, hopes will make healthy vegan cooking accessible and easy for everyone. Portia de Rossi explains in her foreword, “Roberto taught me that the key to making good food vegan is substitution…you can enjoy all your favorite foods and never feel deprived.”

Some of the standouts Martin, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, has developed for Ellen and Portia include: Banana and Oatmeal Pancakes, Avocado Reuben, Red Beans and Rice, “Chick’n” Pot Pie, and Chocolate Cheesecake. Featuring mouthwatering photographs by award-winning food photographer, Quentin Bacon, this cookbook will appeal to die-hard carnivores and vegetarians alike.

THE MCDOUGALL PROGRAM

The McDougall Programwas designed by Dr. John McDougall, creator of the nationally renowned diet and exercise program at the St. Helena Hospital in Deer Park, California. In this book, Dr McDougall introduces his remarkable twelve-day plant-based meal plan. Building on the idea that the traditional meat-rich American diet is hazardous to our health, Dr. McDougall has developed a medically sound, low-fat, starch-based diet that not only facilitates weight loss but also reverses serious illness, without drugs, and provides a broad range of dramatic and lasting health benefits. Step-by-step, he takes you through his revolutionary new program, providing:

Over 130 easy-to-prepare recipes

Delicious day-by-day menus

Suggestions for healthful dining out

Plus a comprehensive listing of health problems from arthritis to ulcer disease, comparing the traditional, often drastic medical approach and The McDougall Program‘s nutritionally based alternative. As featured in the book and movie Forks and Knives, John A McDougall delivers a powerful and effective food regiment.

I was very surprised not to see any of Dr. John McDougall\’s books listed here. His books have been very valuable to be in my journey to plant-based eating. He has been a proponent of this lifestyle, and a practitioner of what he calls "lifestyle medicine," since the 1970\’s, far longer than many others on your list so I would think he could easily be considered one of the foremost authorities on the health benefits of this lifestyle.

I personally add a great deal of gratitude to Dr. McDougall. I consider him a mentor, and one of the reasons I have not had an MS episode for nearly 2 years.